Method of inlaying carpet



May 22, 1934. G. s. HUNT METHOD OF INLAYING CARPET Filed Dec. 5, 1932 HEEEE Ifivenfor GeorgaS. Jfu

Patented May 22, 1934 s'r'r ss "rear -Fl 1 Claim.

This invention has to do with an improved method for making inlaid napped, carpets, the principal object of the invention being to facilitate the placing of inlays in carpets or rugs and 5 to overcome the numerous disadvantages of the methods heretofore used.

Although there are many instances where the desirability arises for inlaying napped carpet, particular advantage and effect may be gained by inlaying broadloom carpets or other carpet having the broadloom effect when laid. These are usually made plain, though in various colors. The reason for the particular desirability of being able to inlay broadloom carpet, arises princi- 5 pally because of the fact that there may be incorporated in a particular broadloom of selec ed color, contrasting or blended inlays of any selected design. Thus, practically speaking, the rug can'be-made to order as regards the design and color combinations, to best suit the tastes of the customer, the room and surroundings, and, as will be apparent, the possibilities as regards combinations in design and colors, are warm berless.

To my knowledge, heretofore the only method devised for inlaying carpet, has been to cut out, using hand knives, the areas in which the inlays are to be placed, to cut the inlays in a similar manner as closely as possible to fit the cut-out place. This method has several distinct disadvantages. In the first place, the manual effort required to cut out the inlay pieces and the openings in the carpet to accommodate them, is extremely laborious and requires a great amount of time and painstaking care. Also, it is almost impossible, because of the inaccuracies of hand cutting, to form the openings in the carpet and the inlay pieces of such exact, corresponding size that the inlay will fit the opening with such precision as to not allow a space to remain between the inlay and the edge of the opening, or, on the other hand, to cause the inlay to buckle as a result of its being oversize.

In accordance with the invention, I have been able to overcome the difiiculties and disadvantages of the usual method of inlaying the rugs, by devising a simple procedure whereby areas of predetermined size and shape may be cut from the rug, and inlay pieces cut from other material to the exact size and shape of the openings in the rug. In forming the inlay receiving openings in the rug and also the inlay pieces themselves, I use a die cutter, the shape of which corresponds to the desired shape of the inlay. I may use areas of the carpet, and then to put the inlays in (Cl. ll-35) either a single cutter for forming both the inlay opening and the inlay piece, or I may use separate cutters, providing, however, they are substantially exactly the same size and shapeare in effect the same cutter-4n order that there 6 may be no appreciable variance between the size and shape of the inlay receiving opening and the inlay piece. In cutting the rug and the inlay material, the cutter is pressed against the napped surfaces thereof, instead of against the fabric backing, in order that no inaccuracies may occur as a result of the nap being deflected and cut off around the edges of the opening or inlay piece.

Thus by simple die cutting operations, the inlay piece and the opening in the rug to receive same, may be formed in exact accordance as to size and shape, so that the inlaid rug will have the appearance of one in which the inlaid areas are woven in the rug. The inlays are held in place by securing to the back of the fabric side of the rug a '15 composition strapping which definitely secures the inlay to the main rug or carpet.

The invention also incorporates the provision of an improved type of die cutter which has proven particularly effective in the cutting of napped 8G carpet. The details of the cutter, as well as the above mentioned objects and features of the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description. Throughout the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view showing an inlaid portion of the rug;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of my preferred form of die cutter;

Fig. 3 is a section taken through the cutter on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged section of the cutter blade; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of the cutter at one of the corners of the design.

Referring first to Figs. 2 and 3, the cutter is shown to comprise a body, typically in the form of a block 10, to which is secured by means of screws 11, a plurality of blocks 12, 13, 14 and 15. The central block 15 is surrounded by the others and is shaped substantially in accordance with the desired shape of the inlay to be cut. I have here shown the inlay design to be in the form of a leaf, although it will be understood, of course, that the cutter may be formed in accordance with any other desired pattern or design regardless of size.

The edges of blocks 12, 13 and 14 adjacent the edges of the central block 15 are shaped in accordance therewith, but are spaced apart somewhat to accommodate the cutter blade, hereinafter described. There is thus provided a continuous space between the adjacent edges of the blocks, which space surrounds the area representing the inlay design. Between the edges of the blocks there is clamped a cutter blade 16, the outer cutting edge 16a of which projects sufliciently beyond the face of the blocks to enable the blade to cut through the thickness of a rug. While the cutter blade may consist of one or a number of pieces or sections, I may conveniently use a single elongated blade of flexible metal, that is shaped or bent about the central block 15 and then clamped in place by securing the surrounding blocks into clamping engagement with the blade.

In Fig. 5 I show the blade at one of the corners of the cutter design, as atC in Fig. 2, illustrating the continuity of the blade in being bent or otherwise continued around the corners or pointed extremities of the block 15. The ends of the cutter blade are shown to come together at E.

As shown in Fig. 4, the cutter blade 16 preferably is tapered at 17. on both sides toward its cutting edge. The reason for so shaping the blade, instead of, for example, bevelling it only on one side toward its cutting edge, is to minimize, as the blade cuts through the carpet, the difference between the extent to which the opening is enlarged by the blade, and the extent to which the piece being cut out, is laterally compressed. Thus the size of the opening and that of the inlay, are made to correspond as exactly as possible.

In the procedure of cutting out an opening in a carpet to receive the inlay, the carpet is placed with its backing against a suitable support, such as end grain wood, into which the die may out without damage to the cutter blade. The cutter is then pressed against the napped face of the rug to cut through the rug and so form the inlay opening. A similar operation is followed in cutting the inlay piece from napped carpet of dissimilar color but preferably of the same construction. The inlay piece is then inserted into the opening in the carpet to give the general appearance as indicated in Fig. 1. The inlay may best be held in place by cementing to the bottom surfaces of the rug and inlays, a suitable backing material 18. As previously stated, the final effect produced as a result of the exactness with which the inlays may be fitted into the rug, is comparable with that of a woven rug of similar design.

While ordinarily, no operations other than those described, need be taken in inlaying the carpet, I may mention that if for any reason it should be further desirable, in order to secure a more exact fit'between the inlay piece and the opening in the carpet, the carpet, at the time the inlay opening is being cut out, may be put under tension so that the opening will fit the inlay piece more closely when the tension on the carpet is released. In using this method, the inlay piece preferably will be inserted in the opening while the carpet is under tension. Thereafter, upon release of the tension, the carpet will contract about the inlay so as to produce a close fit with the latter.

I claim:

The method of forming an inlaid napped carpet that includes, cutting an inlay opening through a ground of napped carpet by application of a double-beveled-edge die cutter to the napped side of the ground, cutting an inlay from another piece of napped carpet by application of an identical die cutter to the napped side, and thereby forming an inlay opening and an inlay identical in shape and size and without disturbing the normal relation of nap to back in the ground and inlay, and then fitting the inlay to the opening and securing the inlay and ground to a common backing layer.

GEORGE S. HUNT. 

